ESSENCE Poll: How Do You Define Street Harassment?

Actress Shoshana B. Roberts recently filmed herself being harassed over 100 times by men on the streets of New York as part of a PSA by Rob Bliss Creative and the non-profit Hollaback. Roberts and Rob Bliss used a Go Pro camera to document her walking for 10 hours through Manhattan. The result was 10 hours worth of Roberts being told to smile and being followed by various men.

"I'm harassed when I smile and when I don't," Roberts said in a statement to Hollaback, a non-profit that seeks to end street harassment. "I'm harassed by white men, Black men, Latino men. Not a day goes by when I don't experience this."

Street harassment isn't unique to the New York area. It affects people everywhere. According to Hollaback, Black women, young people, and LGBTQ people are disproportionately affected by this form of harassment. "The reality is that the harassment that people of color and LGBTQ individuals face is oftentimes more severe and more likely to escalate into violence," said a statement from the group.

In the video, you can see Roberts being spoken to by several different men. Some merely give her a greeting of "Hello" or "Hey, beautiful." Has something like this ever happened to you? Take our poll and let us know how you define street harassment. Then share your best and worst street harassment stories in the comments below.